Make-A-Wish sends Stockton teen to see Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas

STOCKTON - When John Rocero picks up his guitar, he becomes another person.

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By Stephen Roberson

recordnet.com

By Stephen Roberson

Posted Dec. 7, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By Stephen Roberson
Posted Dec. 7, 2012 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

STOCKTON - When John Rocero picks up his guitar, he becomes another person.

His shyness eases away, revealing an inexperienced but passionate player full of expression.

"It helps me take my mind off of things I don't want to think about," he said.

What doesn't live beneath the shyness is sadness. Rocero, who is Filipino, is a brave and positive 18-year-old high school senior and big-time boxing fan. Specifically, the lifelong Stockton resident is a Manny Pacquiao fanatic.

What's remarkable about Rocero's disposition is his condition: He has terminal brain cancer. Specifically, he suffers from glioblastoma, the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor found in humans.

While guitar playing and comic book characters - he's also a huge Batman fan - fulfill most days, this weekend should be something special. Courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Rocero and his parents, Roy and Patricia, are in Las Vegas to watch Pacquiao fight Juan Manuel Marquez, the fourth meeting between the rivals since 2004.

"I'm excited to meet him," John said. "But I'm more excited for the fight."

Rocero was diagnosed when he was 5 years old with neurofibromatosis type 1, also known as Recklinghausen disease, which causes tumors to grow in the nervous system.

The genetically inherited illness affects one in every 3,000 to 4,000 individuals in the United States.

When he was 9, doctors discovered an unusual spot during a baseline magnetic resonance imaging exam. The spot was monitored until last year, when they discovered it had developed into a tumor. Going into surgery, doctors didn't know what to expect.

"The day of the surgery, they knew it was the most dangerous form of cancer," Patricia Rocero said. "They were not thinking that going in."

John, a Seventh Day Adventist, says religion has played a greater role in his life since his diagnosis.

"I'm strong in my faith," he said.

His mother, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Modesto, has also seen the church play a significant role.

"I think his faith has grown because of this," she said. "He has a strong faith in God and Jesus, and he has been really strong through this. He's never complained about the treatment."

Since his diagnosis, Rocero has been home-schooled by Jerry Fish, who works for the Lodi Unified School District. Ironically, Fish himself battled acoustic neuroma, a tumor under his skull, that cost him his hearing in one ear.

"I can relate to how he feels having gone through all the medical stuff, even though mine wasn't cancerous," he said. "But I had to go through MRIs for five years. I understand that's really nerve-wracking.

"Still, he's such a nice, happy-go-lucky kid who's had a lot of bad luck. He's very, very positive."

Fish's job now is to help John graduate with his class at Lodi Academy.

Walking down the aisle in his cap and gown with his classmates would be a big deal, his grandmother, Barbara Jones, said.

"I took him back to school about a month ago, so he could see his friends and eat with them," Jones said. "He liked it. He had a great time. ... I hope it happens."